Charge second degree for boy

VALLEY SPRINGS - A 12-year-old Valley Springs boy was formally charged with murder Tuesday in connection with the death of Leila Fowler, 72 hours after he was arrested on suspicion of killing his 8-year-old sister, authorities said.

VALLEY SPRINGS - A 12-year-old Valley Springs boy was formally charged with murder Tuesday in connection with the death of Leila Fowler, 72 hours after he was arrested on suspicion of killing his 8-year-old sister, authorities said.

Calaveras County District Attorney Barbara Yook filed a petition in the Juvenile Division at Calaveras County Superior Court in San Andreas, alleging that the boy stabbed his sister to death April 27 inside their home on Rippon Road in Valley Springs.

The boy was charged with second-degree murder with special circumstances for using a deadly weapon, said Sgt. Chris Hewitt, a spokesman for the Calaveras County Sheriff's Office, possibly indicating the absence of premeditation or malice aforethought.

Also Tuesday, the Sheriff's Office released a recording of a 911 call made by Leila's stepmother, Crystal Walters, the day the girl died. Walters, who was not home when she made the 911 call, reports an intruder but seems to be unaware that Leila was injured.

"Hi, 911, how can I help you?" the 911 dispatcher said.

"My children are at home alone, and a man just ran out of my house," Walters said. "My older son was in the bathroom and my daughter started screaming."

Leila's brother told authorities he went to check on her after encountering the intruder and found her suffering from multiple stab wounds. The boy provided a description of the intruder, touching off a 15-day manhunt involving local, state and federal law enforcement resources.

The search for the killer ended Saturday, when Calaveras County Sheriff Gary Kuntz called a news conference to announce that Leila's brother had been arrested on suspicion of homicide.

Under California law, a defendant younger than 14 cannot be tried as an adult. According to the California Judicial Branch, such defendants are entitled to a detention hearing within three court days, meaning the boy will likely make his first court appearance today.